The major reason I follow the NFL is to follow the career of former Canes. I no longer have an NFL team I root for, just certain players. And I have a particular interest in Duke Johnson, as 1) He is one of my favorite all-time Canes, and 2) while I never expected him to be a pro like Edgerrin James or Clinton Portis, I felt he could be a valued NFL All Purpose player like Eric Metcalf, Darren Sproles, Glyn Milburn, or Dave Meggett. A player who was valuable and universally respected, despite not having the ideal size for an every-down back.
I was hopeful in Cleveland, even though he was underutilized,especially considering his incredible skills as a kickoff return (he was, statistically, BY FAR better than anyone in Hurricane history). Though his tenure in Cleveland was mixed, he was their leader in All Purpose yards in his first 3 years, averaging just under 1000 yards/year before falling way off in 2018, due to the addition of Jarvis Landry and others.
I thought he made a good move going to Houston, and in 2019, his yards per carry and his yards per reception are BOTH the highest of his career. In fact, his 11 game yards from scrimmage total is only 41 yards less than his entire 2018 output.
That said, I think it is apparent by now that he will likely never be the NFL I had hoped. I am not sure why, but it appears that either 1) his teams have determined his usage has to be limited, or 2) his value truly is limited
I was hopeful in Cleveland, even though he was underutilized,especially considering his incredible skills as a kickoff return (he was, statistically, BY FAR better than anyone in Hurricane history). Though his tenure in Cleveland was mixed, he was their leader in All Purpose yards in his first 3 years, averaging just under 1000 yards/year before falling way off in 2018, due to the addition of Jarvis Landry and others.
I thought he made a good move going to Houston, and in 2019, his yards per carry and his yards per reception are BOTH the highest of his career. In fact, his 11 game yards from scrimmage total is only 41 yards less than his entire 2018 output.
That said, I think it is apparent by now that he will likely never be the NFL I had hoped. I am not sure why, but it appears that either 1) his teams have determined his usage has to be limited, or 2) his value truly is limited
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